The first thing I built when I got my first allotment and again last year was a compost bin. I’ve been ‘making’ compost for 10 years and still I continue to be amazed that a haphazard assortment of annual weeds, peelings, prunings, tea bags (lots of those!) coffee grounds and seriously misshapen carrots etc, transforms itself into this brown, crumbly stuff.
Other than adding the ingredients and adding some water when the pile seems dry, I do very little to facilitate this transformation.
This is the only place I can share pictures of my compost and know that I won’t get strange looks!
On plot 34, I started with a two bay bin made from pallets and a corrugated iron sheet. I filled one bay and left that to brew while filling the other bay. I empty the bays on alternate years. I acquired two daleks and whilst they produce smaller quantities of compost, seem to do so quicker than the open bays but do seem more attractive to furry creatures seeking a warm bed for the night. I don’t mind sharing the space but I do wish they’d stop contaminating my heaps with tiny bits of plastic used to line their nest.
At plot 48, I treated myself to a ‘posh’ three bay purpose made compost bin. I’m about to move it for the third time, no small undertaking as the post are dug in! Now that I’ve experienced the home-made Heath Robinson compost bin and the purpose made, I’d recommend the home-made every time.
Charles Dowding recommends covering beds with a 2″ layer of compost mulch each year. A rough calculation shows I need approximately 2.5 cubic metres of compost. A present I produce probably a bit less than one cubic metre, which means I need to step up production! I don’t think I can generate any more green and brown waste to add to the bins but I can fill up a couple of bulk bags with wood chip and fresh manure that is delivered to site.
More on the compost production area soon!
Enjoy your week.
Allotment Life 
Good for you, it was the first thing I did when I started on my plot. I’ve just got one heap which I turn out yearly.
Thanks, and you too. xx
This is a very timely post for me. I just blogged on going no-dig on the allotment and I’ve thinking about ensuring I make as much compost as possible. I also have free wood chips and plan to compost those too 😊
I think getting enough compost/mulch is a significant challenge for urban plotters wanting to go the no-dig route. We’ll just have to get creative!
Some councils provide it free to residents. You just have to go get it yourself. Some even deliver it to allotment sites. I’ve emailed mine to find out their position. Neighbouring authority does it.
I know but….I send my nasties off in my green waste bags (shocked emoji) It’s also the stuff that’s mixed in many commercial composts and the quality of some can be awful. You know it’s bad when the weed seeds are offended! I know the higher temperatures should practically sterilise everything but, but, but…
I had to smoke when you said your blog was one place where you could show your compost. I’ve had the same feeling.
On the subject of no-dig and mulching, I’ve recently been chatting with someone who is convinced that mulching with compost (or anything other than natural leaf fall) is at best not the most effective way to increase soil fertility. Anyway, I mention this only in passing – I have seen Charles Dowding’s results, so compost can’t be that bad.
However, like you, I cannot generate enough compost for mulching (besides, my compost has too many seed heads, due to a mistake I made, to be used as mulch).
On a different note, I’ve found that my dalek compost bin attracts more furry friends than other types of compost heap, too. Fortunately, this year, there don’t seem to have been any taking up residence!